A conventional mattress 10, as depicted in FIG. 1, generally has a rectangular shape. For example, when viewed from above, a plan view of the mattress is rectangular. When viewed from any of four sides of the mattress, side elevational views of the mattress are also rectangular. Conventional mattresses 10 generally sit on a box spring 12, bunkie board, or other support structure.
Oftentimes, a Double or Queen sized bed does not provide enough surface area for two people to sleep comfortably. Many people have therefore turned to purchasing King or California King sized beds, which have larger sleeping surface areas than the Double and Queen sized beds. Other people desire the sleeping surface area of a King or California King sized bed, but do not have a bedroom large enough to hold the footprints of such beds.
One prior art mattress that includes an enlarged surface area is Wyatt et al. U.S. Publication No. 2007/0151033. Wyatt discloses a support surface having a core, a foam perimeter disposed below the core, and a foam topper disposed atop the core and the foam perimeter. The foam perimeter includes an interior well defined by a floor, a top surface, and side walls. The top surface extends beyond a perimeter of the core and the side walls. As seen in FIG. 3 of Wyatt, the mattress must be disposed upon a step deck, which includes a lower deck to support the floor of the foam perimeter, deck side walls to support the side walls of the foam perimeter, and an upper deck to support the top surface of the foam perimeter. While the mattress of Wyatt provides an enlarged sleeping surface area, the step deck is also enlarged and, in fact, has the same length and width dimensions as the mattress to support the entire mattress. There is, therefore, a need for a mattress that does not require a specialized step deck, box spring, or other support surface.